Easter Sunday in Sri Lanka 253 people were killed and over 400 injured as a result of a targeted attack primarily against Christians and tourists. These bombings occurred in several Churches and hotels throughout the island. On a day when people were praising and praying others sought to create violence and chaos. Hearing this was incredibly troubling to me. As I sat in an Easter Service of my own I thought about those who were doing the same thing but at the wrong time and place. It caused sadness within me but also caused me to be grateful for where I am. I realized how often things like this happen across the world and even in this nation, albeit not on the same scale, yet I am fortunate enough to live in a place where I don't worry about such things. This, however, does not give me an excuse not to care. It is because of this that I originally sought out the GIP program. To prevent myself from falling in a cycle of apathy or an emotional catharsis for special news stories. During my time in this program, I have achieved what I set out to do, which is expanding the way I think about the world and putting systems in place to help me stay connected to the entirety of the world around me. So that events like the one which occurred on Easter Sunday is not the only thing I know about Sri Lanka, or the world around me.
Poly has had the privilege of having Mr. Pond speak on its campus twice in the last four years. While I, unfortunately, was not present for the first, I was enthralled at being able to attend the most recent one. Pond is someone who can be presented as a role model for just about anything. He started off the night by sharing some details from his past and revealing many of his experiences to the audience. As someone who has survived a horrible atrocity, the fact that Pond is able and willing to share his experiences is inspiring in it of itself. He focused on his survival of the Cambodian genocide and the bullying that ensued after he arrived in America. His own experiences were a true testimony to how powerful stories are, an idea that he has been trying to teach for some time. However, what particularly struck me, was what Pond was doing in his communities. This side of him which takes what he knows and puts into action concrete solution is even more inspiring. He mentioned some work...
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